1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passenger protection apparatus for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a passenger protection apparatus which is mounted in a motor vehicle or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A passenger protection apparatus, which is mounted in a vehicle such as, for example, an automobile or the like, and comprises a first protector (also called an active knee bolster) which is movably supported on the vehicle body side and a second protector (also called an active knee bolster), and first and second actuators for driving the first and second protectors, respectively, is known. During a collision, the first and second protectors are driven by the first and second actuators so as to restrain lower limbs of a passenger or occupant, who is seated on a passenger seat, from the vehicle front side. At the same time, a front side portion of a seat cushion separates from a rear side portion of the seat cushion and moves toward the vehicle front side. For example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2679405 (FIGS. 1 and 7).
However, in the above-described prior art structure, the first and second protectors concurrently operate and restrain the (right and left) lower limbs of the passenger uniformly in a direction from front to rear of the vehicle. Accordingly, during a frontal offset impact, i.e., a frontal impact at a point, which is offset rightward or leftward with respect to a vehicle center line, of the vehicle front, or during an oblique impact, the passenger is likely to move diagonally forward or in an irregular direction. Therefore, with such first and second protectors, it is difficult to reliably restrain both of the lower limbs of the passenger.